Valentine's Day 'a threat to Muslim values'

Malaysia watchdog slams festivities as 130 couples get married in mass wedding

Published: 02/14/2014 at 11:40 PM

(Al-Jazeera) Malaysian authorities have said Valentine’s Day is a threat to Muslim values in their annual swipe at the February 14 occasion, which was marked with a mass wedding involving 138 couples.

In its official Friday sermon text distributed to mosques in the Muslim-majority country, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department blamed Valentine’s Day for everything from alcoholism to abortion.

“Social ceremonies such as this are a stepping-stone towards greater social ills such as fraud, mental disorder caused by alcohol, abortion and baby-dumping, and other negative ills that can invite disaster and moral decay among youths,” it said.